1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to carriers for sporting equipment or tools, namely fencing equipment and other peripheral equipment, and more particularly to a quiver that can be converted into a stand and can be disassembled with ease for storage or shipping. Its usefulness applies to the carrying of any elongated tools or equipment, particularly those with one irregularly shaped end and those which can be damaged by jostling.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
When fencers attend tournaments and practice sessions, they bring the protective and regulation equipment and tools they need in large and cumbersome sports bags, either hard or soft-sided. During the specific hours of competition, these bags are too unwieldy to be brought to the specific fencing strips where pairs of opponents compete, so fencers typically carry in their hands as many as 8 or 10 items: these can include such items as 3-4 weapons, 1-2 body cords, mask, glove, towel, water, snack, warm-up clothing. These differently shaped items are then left in loose piles on the floor near the fencing strip where they are often accidentally stepped on or kicked, sometimes resulting in damage. When as many as 8-10 fencers, plus coaches, teammates, relatives, friends, and observers, congregate around a specific strip, the many such piles of equipment sometimes occasion confusion as to which items belong to whom, especially when the exigencies of competition require the rapid collection and transport of these loose items to another strip. Rarely is there enough room to bring the large travel cases to the strip, even if transporting them around the fencing venue were not so difficult and cumbersome.
Those lightweight receptacles designed to be carried over the shoulder that are currently available do not allow easy access to multiple weapons, so they are rarely if ever brought to competition strips. Bringing them to competition venues would require transporting them empty, along with all the required fencing equipment, since they do not provide sufficient protection to be checked as baggage in airplanes or trains or even tightly packed automobile trunks.
Similarly, fencers who travel to lessons or practice sessions often need to transport only a limited quantity of equipment. Today, they must choose between large, wheeled carrying cases which are cumbersome or small cloth cases which overly limit what they can carry and which allow no protection to fragile items which jostle against each other during transport. Alternatively, fencers carry their equipment loose in their hands. Current art provides no lightweight, easy-to-carry receptacles for transporting multiple weapons nor any lightweight receptacles which protect weapon blades and points from damage nor any receptacles which can act as stands, holding weapons off the floor.
As for the prior art, inventions such as those to Nevard (U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,646), Worthington (U.S. Pat. No. 1,563,816), Hall (U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,982), Ullal et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,883), Zielinski et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,348), Rivera et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,324), Burgin et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,628), Windheim (U.S. Pat. No. 2,118,875), Rottenberg (U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,937), Cash (U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,532), Kjose (U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,391) and Schoenike (U.S. Pat. No. 2,464,101) all offer teachings of providing a means of transport for rod-like or lengthy sporting equipment.
Nevard discloses a golf club carrier which employs the use of tubes for receiving the clubs. Having tubes secured to the base, the structure of Nevard does not allow movement of the tubes which is the opposite concept taught herein. Worthington similarly teaches of a plurality of tubes for carrying golf clubs having a shoulder strap for carrying. However the tubes are bound together in a threaded manner via an interlacing strap allowing the tubes to be arranged in a flat to circular formation.
Hall, Ullal et al., Burgin et al., Windheim, and Rottenberg all illustrate the use of hands-free carrying of ski sporting equipment by harnessing skis over the shoulder and back. Wherein Windheim discloses a partially open and partially closed (sack-like) devices; Hall, Ullal, Burgin and Rottenberg illustrate open forms of an equipment harness.
Zielinski et al. discloses a portable fishing rod organizer having a pair of axially detached brackets for housing the rods. A carrying strap extends between the two brackets, although similar in concept (of accommodating transportation) to the present invention it departs in structure and usage in various ways. Rivera et al. and Burgin et al. also disclose equipment holders each providing means for carrying and restraining such elongated equipment.
The patents to Cash and Kjose illustrate the antithesis of the present invention providing equipment holders which are internally stored. Lastly, the patent to Schoenike discloses a quiver, in the conventional sense, providing means for spacing arrows during transport.
Deficiencies in the prior art for such other ramifications include golf bags which are cumbersome and heavy enough to require human caddies or golf carts and which allow unprotected golf clubs to jostle against each other; golf club carriers which are carried in the hand; tool carriers which allow elongated calibrated tools such as levels to knock against each other and which must be carried closed so that there is no immediate access to the tools; tool belts which allow immediate access to tools but from which elongated tools can be suspended only if very little walking is required; fishing rod carriers which must be carried by hand; fishing rod and backpack combinations which do not accommodate jostle-free transport of multiple rods or rods with reels attached; garden tool carriers designed to rest on the ground which must be constantly moved as the gardener moves down a row; soft-sided sports bags for baseball bats, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, and so forth, which must be carried by hand, often by more than one person, because their length makes them too cumbersome for someone of average height to carry alone.
Accordingly, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for carrying sporting equipment or tools more easily, safely and conveniently than prior art. While the above devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a fencing quiver for elongated, irregularly shaped equipment which converts into a stand capable of carrying peripheral tools and equipment. In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of devices for carrying fencing equipment, or any elongated, rod-like equipment now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved device for carrying such equipment.
As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in great detail, is to provide a new and improved device for transporting such equipment which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for an improved device which can be used to carry fencing, or other irregularly shaped equipment. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need as described below.
Accordingly, this invention in its fencing ramification has several objects and advantages over prior art. Compared to other carriers, it is lighter in weight, smaller in volume and easier to carry than hard-sided cases which cannot be slung over a shoulder or chair or other furnishing; it is more protective of weapon blades and tips than soft-sided carriers; it is more protective of some peripheral equipment, such as body cords, than soft-sided carriers; its open structure allows immediate visual inventorying of equipment, unlike soft or hard-sided carriers; its open structure allows immediate access to required items.
Further, when it is converted into a stand, it can be used near fencing strips to hold spare weapons and equipment, keeping them off the floor, even when chairs or other furnishings are not available. Further, because it can be disassembled, it can be easily stored and transported when it is not in use. In its space-efficient disassembled state, it protects individual weapons against jostling and the moisture of damp uniforms.
Compared to hand-carrying equipment and then leaving equipment in piles near fencing competition strips, it provides more protection against damage from being stepped on or kicked because fragile equipment is in protective sheaths, both when used as a quiver and when used as a stand. Because it causes items being carried to be part of a single entity rather than loose, it protects items against being mistakenly removed by someone other than the owner and it reduces the chances that some items will be mistakenly left behind by the owner. It provides greater convenience in handling because the quiver carries equipment, leaving the hands free for other uses.
Because the quiver is constructed of lightweight components, it does not add significant weight to the equipment being carried. Further, because the components disassemble, it is possible to replace parts, should that be necessary, rather than replacing the entire quiver, giving economic advantage.
Thusly, the more important features of the invention have been outlined, rather broadly, in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.